September 29th, 2015

The Books We Read:
Big Red Apple by Tony Johnston
Tap the Magic Tree  by Christie Matheson

Songs and Fingerplays:
Found an Apple by Harriet Ziefert--we sang this book for fun!

I Reached Way Up
I reached way up in the apple tree, and picked an apple just for me;
I took a bite, and what did I see? Five little worms a-lookin' at me--yuck!
[Repeat, counting down.]
Credit: Childhood

Project—Tissue Paper Apple Trees:

September 25th, 2018

The Books We Read:
Tap the Magic Tree  by Christie Matheson
Found an Apple by Harriet Ziefert
What's an Apple by Marilyn Singer

Songs and Fingerplays:
We Clap and Say Hello
We clap and say "hello!"
We clap and say "hello!"
With our friends at storytime,
We clap and say "hello!"

We [fill in action--stomp, spin, jump, hop] and say "hello!"
...
Credit: Jbrary

Found an Apple by Harriet Ziefert--we sang this book for fun!

I Reached Way Up
I reached way up in the apple tree, and picked an apple just for me;
I took a bite, and what did I see? Five little worms a-lookin' at me--yuck!
[Repeat, counting down.]
Credit: Childhood

Project—Magic Apple Trees w/ Fall Surprise
Everyone had a different take on their autumnal apple trees, which we made with tissue paper, dot markers, and lots of glue!

October 11th, 2016

The Books We Read:
Bear Has a Story to Tell by Philip Stead
Busy Little Squirrel by Nancy Tafuri
Owl Babies by Martin Waddell

Songs & Activities:
Autumn Leaves Stretch
(To the tune of London Bridges)
Autumn leaves are falling down, falling down, falling down.
Autumn leaves are falling down, it is fall.

Take a rake and rake them up, rake them up, rake them up.
Take a rake and rake them up, it is fall.

Make a pile and jump right in, jump right in, jump right in.
Make a pile and jump right in, it is fall.
Credit: Various sources

Mmm-AH! Went the Little Green Frog
Mmm ah! went the little green frog one day.
Mmm ah! went the little green frog.
Mmm ah! went the little green frog one day.
and they all went mmm mmm ah!!
But we know frogs go shanananana! shanananana! shanananana!
We know frogs go shanananana!, they don't go mmm mmm ah!

Bloop bloop! went the little blue fish one day.
Bloop bloop! went the little blue fish.
Bloop bloop! went the little blue fish one day.
and they all went bloop bloop bloop!
But we know fish go kissy kissy kiss! kissy kissy kiss! kissy kissy kiss!
We know fish go kissy kissy kiss!, they don't go bloop bloop bloop!

Grrr-grrr! went the big brown bear one day.
Grrr-grrr! went the big brown bear.
Grrr-grrr! went the big brown bear one day.
and they all went grrr-grrr-grrr!!
But we know bears go huggy huggy hug, huggy huggy hug, huggy huggy hug.
We know bears go huggy huggy hug,they don't go grrr-grrr-grrr!
Credit: Jbrary

Five Little Hoot Owls (w/ flannel board)
Five little hoot owls sitting in a tree, one flew away, how many do you see?
[Count down to zero.]
Credit: Sunflower Storytime

Craft—Owl Masks

Inspired by Bill from Owl Babies, the kids made masks with bright, colorful feathers.  Here is a fun example:

November 27th, 2018

The Books We Read:
Little Home Bird by Jo Empson
Mother Bruce by Ryan Higgins

Songs & Activities:
Way Up in the Sky
Way up in the sky, the big birdies fly.
While down in the nest, the little birdies rest.
With a wing on the left and a wing on the right,
They're sleeping, they're sleeping most all of the night.
Shhh! Don't wake up the birdies!

The bright sun comes up, the moon goes away.
"Good morning! Good morning!" the little birds say.
Credit: Childhood

One Bright Scarf
Credit: Jbrary

Snowflake Dance (w/ Scarves)
Snowflakes, snowflakes all around; in the air and on the ground.
Some are big and some are small. Roll them into a snowball.
When the sun comes out to play, all the snowflakes melt away.

Credit: Intellidance^TM

Craft—Pine Cone Bird Feeders
As a service to all the Vermont birds that stick around during the winter, we made feeders out of pine cones, sun butter, and bird seed.

September 11, 2018

The Books We Read:
Click, Clack, Quack to School by Doreen Cronin
Pete the Cat Wheels on the Bus by James Dean
Lena's Shoes Are Nervous by Keith Calabrese

Songs & Activities:
We Clap and Say Hello
We clap and say hello! We clap and say hello!
With our friends at storytime, we clap and say hello!

We [wiggle, jump, hop, stomp, dance, spin, whisper] and say hello...
Credit: Adapted from Jbrary

Pete the Cat Wheels on the Bus
Of course, we sang and acted out the book as we went!

Craft—School Buses
Kids had fun creating their own school buses:

Some even made springy stop signs:

November 13th, 2018

The Books We Read:
Porcupine's Pie by Laura Renauld
This is the Turkey by Abby Levine
The Ugly Pumpkin by Dave Horowitz

Songs & Activities:
We Clap and Say Hello
We clap and say "hello!"
We clap and say "hello!"
With our friends at storytime,
We clap and say "hello!"

We [fill in action--stomp, spin, jump, hop] and say "hello!"
...
Credit: Jbrary

Snowflake Dance
Snowflakes, snowflakes all around; in the air and on the ground.
Some are big and some are small. Roll them into a snowball.
When the sun comes out to play, all the snowflakes melt away.

Credit: Intellidance^TM

Craft—Turkey Hats
We used water colors to decorate our turkey's tail feathers, then cut out and attached turkeys to headbands:

October 18th, 2016

The Books We Read:
Possum's Harvest Moon by Anne Hunter
Found an Apple by Harriet Ziefert
Racoons and Ripe Corn by Jim Arnosky

Songs & Activities:
I Reached Way Up
I reached way up in the apple tree, and picked an apple just for me;
I took a bite, and what did I see? Five little worms a-lookin' at me--yuck!
[Repeat, counting down.]
Credit: Childhood

This is the Way (Corn Song)
This is the way we plant the corn, plant the corn, plant the corn.
This is the way we plant the corn, so early in the morning.
This is the way we
...water the seeds.
...hoe the weeds.
...pick the corn.
...shuck the corn.
...eat the corn!
Credit: Adapted from Various Sources

Craft—Apple Collage
A great example of what we did.  Notice the many-eyed worm!

November 17th, 2015

The Books We Read:
Bear Has a Story to Tell by Philip Stead
Brown Bear, Brown Bear by Bill Martin, Jr.
Sleepover with Beatrice and Bear by Mônica Carnesi

Songs and Fingerplays:
Hibernation Song
Sung to the tune of Allouette

Chorus:
Hibernation. Time for Hibernation.
Hibernation. Time to go to sleep.

In the winter where's the bear?
Sleeping in its log or lair.
Where's the bear? Log or lair. OH!

Chorus
In the winter where's the frog?
Sleeping in a rotten log.
Where's the frog? Rotten log.
Where's the bear? Log or lair. OH!

Chorus
In the winter where's the snake?
In the mud beneath the lake.
Where's the snake? Beneath the lake.
Where's the frog? Rotten log.
Where's the bear? Log or lair. OH!

Chorus

In the winter where's the bat?
In a cave is where it's at.
Where's the bat? Where it's at.
Where's the snake? Beneath the lake.
Where's the frog? Rotten log.
Where's the bear? Log or lair. OH!
Credit: Charles County Public Library

Little Green Frog
Mmm ah! went the little green frog one day
Mmm ah! went the little green frog
Mmm ah! went the little green frog one day
and they all went mmm mmm ah!!
But we know frogs go shanananana! shanananana! shanananana!
We know frogs go shanananana!, they don't go mmm mmm ah!

Bloop bloop! went the little blue fish one day
Bloop bloop! went the little blue fish
Bloop bloop! went the little blue fish one day
and they all went bloop bloop bloop!
But we know fish go kissy kissy kiss! kissy kissy kiss! kissy kissy kiss!
We know fish go kissy kissy kiss!, they don't go bloop bloop bloop!

Grrr grrr! went the big brown bear one day
Grrr grrr! went the big brown bear
Grrr grrr! went the big brown bear one day
and they all went grrr grrr grrr!
But we know bears go huggy huggy hug!, huggy huggy hug!, huggy huggy hug
We know bears go huggy huggy hug!, they don't go grrr grrr grrr!
Credit: Jbrary

Project—Hibernating Bears:

November 28th, 2017

The Books We Read:
Bear Has a Story to Tell by Philip Stead
Forever Friends byCarin Berger

Songs and Fingerplays:
Hibernation Song
Sung to the tune of Allouette

Chorus:
Hibernation. Time for Hibernation.
Hibernation. Time to go to sleep.

In the winter where's the bear?
Sleeping in its log or lair.
Where's the bear? Log or lair. OH!

Chorus
In the winter where's the frog?
Sleeping in a rotten log.
Where's the frog? Rotten log.
Where's the bear? Log or lair. OH!

Chorus
In the winter where's the snake?
In the mud beneath the lake.
Where's the snake? Beneath the lake.
Where's the frog? Rotten log.
Where's the bear? Log or lair. OH!

Chorus

In the winter where's the bat?
In a cave is where it's at.
Where's the bat? Where it's at.
Where's the snake? Beneath the lake.
Where's the frog? Rotten log.
Where's the bear? Log or lair. OH!
Credit: Charles County Public Library

Little Green Frog
Mmm ah! went the little green frog one day
Mmm ah! went the little green frog
Mmm ah! went the little green frog one day
and they all went mmm mmm ah!!
But we know frogs go shanananana! shanananana! shanananana!
We know frogs go shanananana!, they don't go mmm mmm ah!

Bloop bloop! went the little blue fish one day
Bloop bloop! went the little blue fish
Bloop bloop! went the little blue fish one day
and they all went bloop bloop bloop!
But we know fish go kissy kissy kiss! kissy kissy kiss! kissy kissy kiss!
We know fish go kissy kissy kiss!, they don't go bloop bloop bloop!

Grrr grrr! went the big brown bear one day
Grrr grrr! went the big brown bear
Grrr grrr! went the big brown bear one day
and they all went grrr grrr grrr!
But we know bears go huggy huggy hug!, huggy huggy hug!, huggy huggy hug
We know bears go huggy huggy hug!, they don't go grrr grrr grrr!
Credit: Jbrary

Project—Hibernating Bears:

October 25th, 2016

The Books We Read:
The Runaway Pumpkin by Kevin Lewis
Ten Orange Pumpkins by Stephen Savage
The Little Old Lady Who Wasn't Afraid of Anything by Linda Williams

Songs & Activities:
Open Shut Them
Open, shut them, open, shut them, give a little clap, clap, clap!
Open, shut them, open, shut them, put them in your lap, lap, lap.
Creep them, creep them, creept them, creep them, right up to your chin, chin, chin.
Open wide your little mouth, but... do not let them in!
Credit: Various Sources

Five Little Pumpkins
Five little pumpkins sitting on a gate.
The first one said, "Oh my, it's getting late!"
The second said, "There are witches in the air!"
The third one said, "Oh, we don't care!"
The fourth one said, "It's time to go home!"
The fifth one said, "Don't leave me alone!"
Oooooh ooooh, went the wind, and out went the light,
and the five little pumpkins rolled out of sight!
Credit: Childhood

Craft—What's Inside a Pumpkin??
This was a hugely fun project. Kids decorated their pumpkin face however they liked and then glued pumpkin "guts" (yarn and seeds) on the inside!  Here is one example:

October 20th, 2015

The Books We Read:
The Runaway Pumpkin by Kevin Lewis
Ten Orange Pumpkins by Stephen Savage

Songs and Fingerplays:
Pumpkin Vine Song
I looked in the garden and what did I find?
Green leaves a-growin' on my pumpkin vine (repeat).
I looked in the garden and what did I find?
... Yellow flowers blooming on my pumpkin vine (repeat).
... Busy bees a-buzzing on my pumpkin vine (repeat).
...Little pumpkins growing on my pumpkin vine (repeat).
...Big fat pumpkins growing on my pumpkin vine (repeat).
Credit: Life Lab

Five Little Pumpkins
Five little pumpkins sitting on a gate. The first one said "Oh my, it's getting late."
The second one said "There are witches in the air!"
The third one said "Oh, we don't care."
The fourth one said "It's time to go home!"
The fifth one said "Don't leave me alone!!"
"Oooooh," went the wind and OUT went the light;
And the five little pumpkins rolled out of sight!
Credit: Childhood

Project—Mason Jar Jack-o-Lanterns:

October 31st, 2017

The Books We Read:
The Little Old Lady Who Wasn't Afraid of Anything by Linda Williams
Ten Orange Pumpkins by Stephen Savage
Pumpkin Trouble by Jan Thomas

Songs & Activities:
Five Little Pumpkins
Five little pumpkins sitting on a gate.
The first one said, "Oh my, it's getting late!"
The second said, "There are witches in the air!"
The third one said, "Oh, we don't care!"
The fourth one said, "It's time to go home!"
The fifth one said, "Don't leave me alone!"
Oooooh ooooh, went the wind, and out went the light,
and the five little pumpkins rolled out of sight!
Credit: Childhood

Craft—Jack-o-Lantern Lanterns

We had fun with mod-pudge and tissue paper, creating funny and fearsome pumpkin faces. A great project for Halloween day!

October 30th, 2018

The Books We Read:
Stumpkin by Lucy Cummins
Ten Orange Pumpkins by Stephen Savage
Runaway Pumpkin by Kevin Lewis

Songs & Activities:
We Clap and Say Hello
We clap and say "hello!"
We clap and say "hello!"
With our friends at storytime,
We clap and say "hello!"

We [fill in action--stomp, spin, jump, hop] and say "hello!"
...
Credit: Jbrary

Open Shut Them
Open, shut them, open, shut them, give a little clap clap clap!
Open, shut them, open, shut them, put them in your lap lap lap.
Creep them, creep them, creep them, creep them, right up to your chin, chin, chin.
Open wide your little mouth, but... do not let them IN!
Credit: Childhood

Craft—What's in a Pumpkin?

We had fun decorating paper pumpkins, both outside...

and in...

September 26th, 2017

The Books We Read:
Leaf Man by Lois Ehrlet
Leavesby David Ezra Stein
The Tree by Layton Neal

Songs & Activities:
Autumn Leaves
Autumn leaves are falling down, falling down, falling down.
Autumn leaves are falling down, it is fall.

Other verses:
Take a rake and rake them up...
Make a pile and jump right in...
Credit: Jbrary

Craft—Leaf Collages
We made our own fall pictures out of leaves, flowers and acorns.  Thanks to Lois Ehlert for the inspiration!

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